Objective: The present study aimed to compare the effects of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) in reducing academic procrastination among students dependent on mobile phones. Methods and Materials: This study employed a quasi-experimental design with a pretest-intervention-posttest structure and a two-month follow-up. For this purpose, 45 students who were dependent on mobile phones, had minimal academic use of their smartphones, and met the inclusion criteria were selected and randomly assigned to three groups: ACT group, CBT group, and a control group (15 participants in each group). Data were collected using the Academic Procrastination Scale developed by McCloskey and Scielzo (2015), and the results were analyzed using repeated measures ANCOVA and Bonferroni post hoc tests. Findings: The findings indicated that both ACT and CBT had significant effects in reducing academic procrastination compared to the control group (F = 61.573, η = 0.750). Moreover, the post hoc test results showed that while both interventions were effective in reducing academic procrastination (p < .05), there was no significant difference between the two therapies. Regarding the subscales, both therapies were effective in improving initiation compared to the control group, but no significant differences were observed between them. In time management, ACT performed better than CBT. Furthermore, both therapies were effective in reducing laziness, with ACT demonstrating greater effectiveness, although the difference was not statistically significant. Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, it is recommended that university counseling and therapeutic programs utilize a combination of ACT and CBT to reduce academic procrastination among students dependent on mobile phones, as these interventions can help reduce procrastination and enhance students’ academic performance.
Nikvash et al. (Mon,) studied this question.